Here I installed the new bulkhead. So far, it's only attached with 4 bolts and washers (2 on each side). The bolt screw into the metal frame on the side of the trailer. It was difficult to drill the holes in the right places but I did it with careful measuring.
Nothing like a blury picture on a blog! Here I reinstalled the support framing. I rebuilt it out of the same outdoor plywood I used for the floor and ferring strips. I made sure the keep the old pieces to use as templates. I also added some extra supports because I don't have the wooden side panels for the cross beam to rest on.
At this point, it's time to start thinking about replacement body panels. I called Buckleys in Maryland and they had lots of Coleman parts. I guess they purchased parts from the Fleetwood factory in PA when it closed. He quoted me $1,400 for the front panel, the lid deck, the lid, the hinge, the gaskets, and shipping. That seemed really expensive considering that I would still need to rebuild all of the wooden body panels in order to use them. So...I decided to have a diamond plate trunk built.
I met with Mike at M&M Metals in San Antonio, TX. I made careful measurements and gave him the following drawings. He quoted me a time frame of seven business days.
I need to do the same thing to my Coleman. Do you still have the plans and measurements that you gave to Mike?
ReplyDeleteNo :( I've lost them. All I have are the photographs above. Those are exactly what I gave him. There was one mistake though. In my drawing I put a lip on the bottom of the box and they put it on the back of the box so I had to have them cut it off. It turned out better to not have the lip at all. If you live in the San Antonio, Tx area you should come by and see it.
DeleteLove the post, thanks for taking the time. I always appreciate people who share knowledge and expertise. I want to do this same thing to my Coleman Cheyenne this spring. Regarding the lip... you had them cut off the bottom lip, or the back lip, or both? Which was the mistake? Bottom or back lip? And when you say "better to not have the lip at all", are you referring to bottom or back lip? And why was it a mistake to have it at all? I will likely use these exact plans but I want to make any recommended improvements if possible.
ReplyDeleteThere was a lip that was supposed to be on the bottom of the box to wrap around the floor and attach underneath the box (up through the floor). However, the shop put the lip on the back of the box which obviously wouldn't work because the back needs to be flat so it can slide into the grooves on the sides of the main body of the trailer. So...I had the shop cut off the lip on the back and just attached the bottom of the box through the sides (rather than up through the floor). This was better because I think that allows for some vertical adjustment where needed.
DeleteOne thing to consider, the lid of the box pops up just a little too high and the bed scrapes on the corner of the lid when we pull it out and it's very hard to get your hand in on top of the box to attach the bunjis. It's not a big deal, but I would probably change the design just a little to make the lid lower down if I did it again.